Chelsea eyeing up Thiago Silva replacement in January transfer window

With Chelsea's star defender, Thiago Silva, set to leave the club at the end of the season when his current deal expires, the Blues are searching feverishly to find a replacement for the Brazilian icon.

Thankfully, they believe they have found one in the form of coveted Sporting CP player Ousmane Diomande. This is according to a report from Football Insider, who say that the Ivory Coast international could be the subject of a 'big money' move this month - something that the Blues are no stranger to.

He has a £70 million minimum fee release clause in his contract with the Portuguese giants - any club that wishes to snap him up, including Chelsea, will need to meet this valuation to action a transfer.

Can Ousmane Diomande fill the gap when Thiago Silva leaves Chelsea?

Losing a player of Thiago Silva's mercurial quality is always likely to be a massive blow - even at the age of 39, he is still one of the most intelligent and physically capable defenders in the Premier League. He holds Chelsea's inexperienced backline together practically by himself, even as his once-explosive pace begins to dwindle.

At just 20 years of age, Silva is almost double the age of Diomande. While the Ivorian is more agile at this stage of his career, he lacks the experience that has made Silva such a valuable asset to Chelsea since his arrival in 2020.

Nevertheless, Chelsea's transfer policy remains steadfast. Owner Todd Boehly is keen to add younger players to his team, rather than experienced professionals - in the summer, the oldest player they snapped up was Axel Disasi, who is currently 25 years of age.

This may come back to bite the Blues in the immediate future. There is no replacement for experience - and they may soon find this out when Silva departs Stamford Bridge.